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Jiro (Manga)
Jiro is the main protagonist of the Android Kikaider manga and eponymous Kikaider, the final willing product of Dr. Komyoji. Background Jiro was created as the final attempt by Dr. Komyoji for a robot with free will that would fight against Professor Gill. He was named in the same fashion of the doctor's late son Ichiro Komyoji (who in turn was the namesake of Jiro's 'older brother' Ichiro/Kikaider 01). Dr. Komyoji had just put the finishing touches on being able to make Jiro able to move independentally of basic function with his Conscience Circuit still incomplete as Professor Gill's forces had captured Dr. Komyoji, but Jiro was ejected in time before he could be brought to Gill. Appearance In his human form, Jiro has messy dark hair and black eyes. He wears a light blue denim jacket with gold buttons over a red shirt and blue bell bottom jeans. He wears a pair of goggles on his head and is usually seen with a guitar. In his battle form, Kikaider has red colored left side that reveals some clear panels including one that extends from the top of his head. His blue colored right side on the other hand has no exposed panels and appears much more complete. Both sides feature yellow lines that appear asymmetrical to each other. In either form, he wears a belt with buckle showing a red and blue circle. Personality Jiro is highly sensitive and emotional, partly due to his incomplete Conscience Circuit which causes him much confusion especially when Professor Gill tries to psychologically attack him. Due to his unfamiliarity of the world and his status as an android that does not follow the same principles as other robots, Jiro feels like an outsider to both humanity and robots that does not belong anywhere (which was noted by Golden Bat). He also had a great deal of self hatred for not being human and for thinking his true form was hideous (the author commented that Jiro's true form is actually one of his coolest looking character). He later on accepted himself for who he truly is as the series progressed. Jiro has a great appreciation for humanity for its ability to be fully conscious in spite of all the confusion, and highly dislikes it when people go to extremes of blaming outside forces for their misfortunes. Jiro can be naive (which was used by Gill and other enemies to trick him numerous times) due to both his nature (a sort of double edged sword) and his (initial) sophistication. None the less as Jiro matures as the series progresses he grows up into a kind and goodhearted boy. Jiro can however be highly intelligent when the time calls for it as he managed to get out of trouble using his wits. He has a lonely nature and likes being in the company of people of good nature and even created Rei out of loneliness. He also views the other robots created by Dr. Komyoji as his family and is highly hesitant to fight them in spite of the trouble they cause. He seemed happy to have a family (Ichiro and Rei) that actually cared for him and helped him. It was not until he was implanted with an Obedience Circuit that Jiro's personality drastically altered into a cold dark one to the point where he lost himself and became like his corrupted brothers, but Jiro was unhappy about the consequences and felt hatred for humanity (despite caring and loving them for most of his life). It is possible that somewhere in his heart he still had some good inside him as he didn't hurt any innocent humans until the Obedience Circuit (that was remade to kill Inazuman) fully activated when he encountered Inazuman. Even then he may have voluntarily opted to stay in human form rather than transform to not hurt the innocent mutant. As he fought Inazuman and painfully told him his torment, Jiro was hit by his electrical attack. The electrical attack severed the cord for the Obedience Circuit inside Jiro, thus turning him back into his kind self. History The Beginning As Jiro becomes a little more familiar with the world he made his way to Dr. Komyoji's house where he meets Mitsuko and Masaru Komyoji. Mitsuko inspects Jiro knowing about his incomplete Conscience Circuit. Later they are attacked by one of DARK's robots. Mitsuko instructs Jiro on how to assume his battle form to fight the robot and manages to destroy it. However, subsequent battles became increasingly difficult for Jiro upon learning that DARK's robots were created by Dr. Komyoji which technically made them Jiro's brothers. Again and again, he would leave the Komyoji family out of confusion for his doings encountering people with personal problems that had been manipulated by Professor Gill for his personal gain. He would also be partially controlled by Gill's flute that made things worse. Things soon get somewhat better as throughout the battles and trials he faces he becomes more familiar with the world and starts accepting himself for who he is. He soon catches a glimpse of Dr. Komyoji during a battle against a crab robot. Jiro tries to find him only to find his body without a brain in a building, this combined with th crude oil on his hands was made to look like Jiro murdered the doctor with a picture DARK had sent to the police. Hakaider He eventually meets his 'younger brother' Saburo who like Gill could control Jiro's actions through his whistling powers. Saburo also reveals that he has the brain of Dr. Komyoji in his frame. Realizing that fighting and defeating Hakaider could mean Komyoji`s death, Jiro tries not to fight him as the more offensive Hakaider effortlessly fought Jiro to a standstill (even when Jiro pleads him to stop as he didn't want to hurt Hakaider at the risk of killing Komyoji) until the police appeared. When Jiro went to the Komyoji residence for help, Saburo once again uses his whistling technique to control Jiro and have him strangle Mitsuko. When Mitsuko was thought to be dead, Jiro`s sanity diminished from Saburo`s whistling and he tried fighting Saburo in a rather berserk and insane way. Hakaider was startled and soon realized that while using his control whistling could mean Jiro getting controlled, it can also mean Jiro going insane and therefore unable to stop himself (a sort of double edged blade). Hakaider subdued him (in the process also cutting off his arms) and brought him to DARK`s base. He then stated to three scientists that he now had complete control over Jiro and that it would be a waste for them to destroy such a powerful and excellent robot. He later transformed into his battle mode and scared the scientists into fixing Jiro when they were reluctant to comply. However, after Kikaider was repaired but still unconscious, Prof. Gill stepped in having noticed that Mitsuko was still alive and got the correct assumption that Dr. Komyoji's subconsciousness had prevented Hakaider from doing anything to remove the Conscience Circuit. As Hakaider began to realize the truth and was struck down, Komyoji took control of Hakaider`s body and activated the switch that allowed Kikaider to regain conscious. After Jiro witnessed Komyoji seemingly sacrificing himself to save Jiro, he then thrashed the base in retaliation for what they did to Komyoji and Saburo. As Jiro continued the rampage, Gill tried using his flute to control Jiro but found it to be ineffective as Jiro attacked Prof. Gill. Gill questioned Jiro for attacking a human to which Jiro replied that since he heard Gill`s evil flute, he can even kill a human (Since Gill wasn`t using the flute when Jiro strangled him it`s more likely that Jiro used it as an excuse). Getting Dr. Komyoji's body to DARK's medics, Jiro forced them to reimplant the doctor's brain from Hakaider back into his body by holding Gill hostage. While the operation was going on, Gill`s followers await to ambush Jiro when he lets his guard down. When the operation is successful, Gill tries to run, but Jiro sees through his plan as he throws an item that severely breaks GIll`s bones (that would have killed him). He then manages to escape with Dr. Komyoji from DARK's base as he activates the its self destruct switch (also an act that would mean harming humans as Jiro thought Gill and the scientists were still in the base) Kikaider 01 After the battle, Jiro goes to investigate strange occurrences at the site of the base. There he meets people who were infected with spores and also the Hakaider Squad led by Hakaider now with Prof. Gill's brain implanted. Jiro calls him Saburo as he is soon told that the new Hakaider (while presumably the same Hakaider body) is no longer Saburo but rather Gill`s brain inside it due to Jiro's actions severely injuring him. The new Hakaider then mocks Jiro that the incident was caused by the destruction of the base before going into battle. Outnumbered, Kikaider is forced to retreat. Meeting with Dr. Komyoji still bedridden, he asks for Jiro's guitar since it contained the blueprints to complete the Conscience Circuit, but Jiro revealed it was destroyed so instead directed Jiro to a temple. It is at this temple that he encounters his prototype and older brother Ichiro/Kikaider 01. Jiro and Ichiro bond after Ichiro gains his functionality as they encounter Komyoji's teacher, Futen. Futen tells him that he was the one that sealed 01 when he thought that humanity was not ready to use such advanced machinery and later rebukes Komyoji for supposedly ignoring his warnings and building another advanced robot (Jiro). Jiro then reassures him that Komyoji didn't ignore his warnings as he put the Conscience Circuit inside Jiro to not be used for evil. After that, they encounter a woman named Rieko running away from the Hakaider Squad with Professor Gil's son Akira. Jiro and Ichiro help them out by fighting them as a team. Gill soon takes the humans as hostages while the others were busy fighting. Komyoji`s teacher responds by activating his robot statues as a decoy to escape. By riding their motorcycles, Jiro and Komyoji`s teacher manages to get away from the Hakaider Squad by remotely controlling his bike while Ichiro tricks them. Jiro manages to get back to Ichiro after he was interrogating Rieko and Akira for information. Jiro and Ichiro speak with Rieko about Akira who was wanted by Hakaider and SHADOW because he holds the secret to Professor Gill's secret weapon, Giant Devil. Going back to the Komyoji residence, Jiro speaks with Mitsuko about her father's worsening condition and to get him to a European clinic. Mitsuko wants Jiro to come with them, but Jiro stays behind with Ichiro to protect Rieko and Akira. Jiro later notices the Hakaider Squad and informs Ichiro. The Kikaider brothers go out to fight them, but are ambushed by their combined form, known as Gattaider. Avoiding Gattaider's multiple missiles, Kikaider distracts them for 01 to strike its weak point, the four brains on its head, making the combined robot explode. When the morning came, Jiro sees the Komyoji family off before he and Ichiro play them a farewell song on their instruments. After they left Jiro speaks with Ichiro about a new enemy that Ichiro encountered while running from the Hakaider Squad before they are interrupted by a floating eyeball spying on them. The eye later reattaches to its body, revealed to be a robot from SHADOW known as Shadow Knight. The brothers transform to fight it. With 01 damaged, Kikaider used the parts of the destroyed Hakaider Squad to trick the robot into letting its guard down, allowing him to smash its head. However the body departs on a flying saucer as it congratulates Jiro for his victory. Jiro walks his brother to Dr. Komyoji's basement lab to repair Ichiro's arm while also agreeing to research their bodies for new capabilities to fight back against SHADOW. During the process of repairs, Ichiro argues with Jiro on robots need for a conscience. Jiro goes to check on Rieko and Akira and tells them not to go outside and gives them a whistle if they need help. Rieko then spoke about how she liked Jiro's compassion. Jiro returned to repairing Ichiro until Rieko and Akira were attacked by SHADOW robots. While Jiro flies out to help Akira, Ichiro stayed behind to help Rieko. But by the time Jiro got back, Ichiro punched him after a spy robot had copied Jiro's voice and made a comment on how he didn't need Ichiro. When Jiro tried to explain it to Ichiro, he didn't believe him or Rieko and when he said he couldn't be around Jiro, he let Ichiro look for Akira with Rieko and left on his own. Alliance At some point Jiro went back to the house and from some of Dr. Komyoji's old notes, created Rei for company. He is greeted by a returning Ichiro, Rieko, Akira's twin Rumi, and surprisingly Gill Hakaider who survived their fight and lied to Ichiro that he turned good. However, they are attacked by a fleet of ray-like SHADOW robots at night and supposedly take Rumi. But it was a decoy and after it exploded, Zadam attacked and tried to break into the basement lab. Before it collapsed, Jiro and co. escaped before he, Ichiro, and Gill Hakaider fought against the robot. While the main body was destroyed, the heads survived and tried to destroy the Kikaider robots with the ray robots. But Kikaider 00 intervened and destroyed the control unit in time. However, Rieko had sacrificed herself to protect Rumi and destroy another robot. Jiro mourns her death and tells Ichiro and Gill not to shout as he makes Rieko a grave. Jiro and the rest of the androids then travel to SHADOW's base managing to fight off the guard robots but are caught in a trap with the base being rocketed into space. The SHADOW leader threatened to make the base explode with the robots in them if they did not reveal where Rumi was. Jiro tricked the leader by allowing him to pilot the central sphere and tell him where Rumi was hidden and when they were close to the safe zone to enter Earth, they managed to escape the pod before it exploded. Back at the ruins of the Komyoji house, they are attacked by SHADOW robots managing to fight them off. Jiro then gets Rumi out of a robot's compartment where she was in suspended animation. Bijinder An android named Mieko appears posing as a nursemaid robot like Rieko, her circuits allowed Jiro and his brothers to be smitten with her. When she start jumping high in the air with the children for their amusment, Jiro tells her to stop for the kids' safety. Jiro has a little small talk with Mieko and after she says that Jiro has nothing to be ashamed of for being incomplete, Jiro stated her as being nice before walking off. When Mieko fought Ichiro, Jiro found a hurt bird and nurtured it before Mieko came back and Ichiro's damaged circuits made him act strange. Jiro then noticed that the children and Gill Hakaider were gone with Mieko revealing that he took Ichiro's bike. Jiro and the rest chased after him but Gill Hakaider had already escaped on a helicopter. With Gill Hakaider gone, Jiro suggests going back to the lab to fix Ichiro. Then Mieko's brother, Waruder appeared and asked to speak with his 'sister'. Jiro asked about the situation when she got back, and Mieko covered it up. By the time they got back Jiro looked for parts to fix Ichiro with Mieko helping. During then, Jiro started to notice Ichiro's damaged circuit, Mieko left to find a coil. Jiro thought it was strange that she would find a complex part but was pleased when she came back with the part. When Mieko left again, Jiro restarted Ichiro with his brother warning Jiro about Mieko being a spy robot called Bijinder. Fortunately, before a controlled Mieko could control them, Rei ambushed her while Jiro fixed her circuits. With this, the brothers ambushed Waruder but had to fight Dr. Dromeda's Monster Rock. Jiro managed to save Mieko before she got crushed, which made Waruder argue with his creator, and with them distracted the Kikaider brothers and Bijinder destroyed Waruder with a combined attack. Final Battle The group then entered the Monster Rock and learned that Gill Hakaider had gone to Hell's Cliff, repairing the vehicle the robots travel to the Japanese Alps where Giant Devil is being made. They decide to sneak around and while Jiro scolded Ichiro's selfishness, they are ambushed by Giant Devil. When Jiro wakes up, Gill Hakaider greets him and reveals that while he couldn't remove the Conscience Circuit due to time constraints, he installed an Obedience Circuit that was also installed in his friends. This made them obey Gill but not Jiro as tricked his former friends into releasing him and came to the deck. He refused to obey Gill after he destroyed SHADOW's forces, he then stated that the Obedience Circuit along with the Conscience Circuit gave Jiro complete free will (not actually true) that allowed him to destroy his friends without mercy. Jiro then proceeded to destroy Gill Hakaider, exploding Professor Gill's brain and frying the Giant Devil's controls. He manages to rescue Akira and Rumi before the giant robot exploded. Jiro then cries for killing his family and for slowly losing his humanity as he wanders off. Inazuman He is found at an unknown time by the Neo Human Empire who modify his Obedience Circuit so that Jiro would hunt down their enemy Saburo Kazeda. Jiro tracks down Kazeda's home and uses the guitar given to him by the empire to put his friends to sleep while he attacked Kazeda in human form. By this point it appears Jiro has become somewhat insane from the effects of the Obedience Circuit as he stated that he hates humans for what they did to him even though he cared and loved them for most of his life. Jiro then spoke about being forced to kill his 'brothers' before Kazeda became Inazuman and fried Jiro's Obedience Circuit releasing him from the Empire's control and returning him to his normal self. Jiro thanked Kazeda before leaving again for parts unknown. Abilities As Jiro is a robot, he has higher physical abilities than a normal human. Due to Dr. Komyoji's love for music, Jiro was also programmed to be a highly skilled guitarist able to play his guitar on his first try. Jiro's most defining trait is his Conscience Circuit, a circuit board that allows Jiro to have a sense of right and wrong, something that several other robots do not have. However, due to the fact that it was left incomplete, Jiro has difficulty dealing with problems like the fact that many enemies he faces and destroys were made by his 'father'. Jiro has the ability to learn and mature like a human. Despite technologically being the most advanced among his brethren, Jiro did not possess as much firepower as Ichiro, Saburo and Rei, who were more physically powerful in comparison. Despite not possessing as much firepower as them though, Jiro has shown himself to be the most skilled and cunning creation of Dr. Komyoji, allowing him to get the better against even opponents like Big Shadow, who managed to defeat Ichiro with little to no trouble. For battle, Jiro assumes a battle mode (often called Kikaider to distinguish the two forms) by having his fists touch his shoulders in a cross armed formation and activating his switches. In this mode, Jiro is able to fly through the rocket boosters on his feet. For offense, Jiro uses his great strength and is able to discharge electricity from his hands (an attack that he calls "Denji End") and from his eyes (an attack called the Blaster that he didn't use until towards the end of the series for its destructive power) that has enough power to destroy even Ichiro, Rei and Mieko in their battle modes. He is also able to remotely control his motorcycle the Side Machine through a built-in mechanism. Category:Manga Characters Category:Protagonist